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Black

(2006, Video Games - First Person Shooter, Rated M, Play it on: PlayStation 2, Xbox)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 17, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 17.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Explosive action burns out quick -- adults only.

Why We Rated This not for kids

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Game involves terrorism, and some characters are US agents gone bad.
  • Violence:

    Lots of shooting with a range of weapons. Enemy death throes look realistic, but the only blood depicted is brief in cut scenes. Some implied torture in cut scenes.
  • Sex:

    Not an issue.
  • Language:

    Moderate swearing, including "f--k."
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some characters are shown smoking cigarettes in cut scenes.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Black was written by Chris Jozefowicz

Parents need to know that this is a first-person shooter in which players kill hundreds of enemies with a variety of guns and explosives. The game's graphics are very realistic, although there is no blood during gameplay. The story revolves around terrorism and includes some quick video of bloody victims and implied torture. The game also includes swearing and cigarette smoking in some cut scenes.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about this game's marketing materials, which celebrated the game as "gun porn." What does this term mean? Do you find this campaign, with its association between sex and violence, troubling? Does that make the game more appealing? Is superficial violence more appealing -- and less damaging -- than realistic violence? Or do you believe the opposite?
Did this review help you decide?
Do you play it? Review It!

More on Black

What’s the Story?

BLACK follows the terrorist-busting exploits of a special operation soldier, but this game isn't really about narrative: Black is about shooting people and blowing things up. Players float through eight game missions, holding a series of guns in the familiar first-person-shooter style. The goal of each mission is to essentially move from point A through the level to point B. There are some shallow secondary objectives, like collecting notebooks and destroying safes hidden throughout the missions. Close

Is It Any Good?

The game is graphically gorgeous. Action takes place in a range of environments, including a forest at night and a dilapidated insane asylum. And firefights are exciting, with shrapnel and bullet shells flying through the smoke, and rocket-propelled grenades and muzzle flashes exploding all around. Parents may be surprised by the lack of blood and gore, although enemies will scream and flail when shot.

Even at its short length -- most gamers will finish the game in around seven hours -- Black has seemingly given all it has to give by the halfway point. Then the game's problems -- players aren't really required to use strategy, nor are they able to save mission progress part-way through an hour-long level -- start to become apparent.

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Publisher’s Details

Released on 3/20/2006, price $39.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: M (for Strong language, violence)

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it 5.0

    Cool, but.....

    This game has to be one of the best shooters out there. The action is over the top. Parents shouldn't freak out. The worst aspect of the game is it's language. It ranges from the little ones to the big nasty ones. That's the worst part. This game is a shooter, and it's surprizing that there is no blood. None at all. Just guns and more guns. You can shoot anything and everything, including cars, walls, and explosive barrels. There are cutscenes where there is language and two guys smoking. That's all. If your kid knows that he's not allowed to say these words and that videogames aren't real, he/she will be fine.

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Fantasy game... A must buy!!

    This game, was a dream come true. It had perfect controls, amazing sounds and graphics, and they story line kept leading you on, wanting more. This is a typical shooting game, you take the role of some kind of undercover swat-like agents, and do submersive missions, all over the globe.. a must buy!!

  3. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Louisiana
    I rate this title on for age 17 and give it 4.0

    I'm here to make sense.

    Wow. Really there are some really die-hard people here wanting to take videogames out of the hands of well... Everyone. When are Americans finally going to pick one over the other or abolish both. We just can't seem to figure out which is worse, sex, drugs, or violence. "OMG I SEE A NIPPLE, ADULTS ONLY! But those guns sure are educational." "My son is not going to play a game where he is mindlessly rampaging about killing people...Though the sex scenes might teach him/her something he/she should know." I don't get it... All in all, this is a good game. The game is one BIG action sequence. Non-stop action. Though replayability is nilch. Heck, the game itself is around 9 hours long if you take your time. There's no way to play with your friends. So...Yeah. This game is definitely not for kids. But there's no way I can see anyone 20 or above appreciating this kind of mindless gameplay. 14-19.

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 4.0

    explosions everywhere the most intense game ever

    this game is amazing the most intense shooter ever played says i the only reason i'm giving it 4 stars is because of the difficuly and how long those darn levels are u should defenetly pick it up for xbox or ps2

  5. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 3.0

    Its not bad at all...

    Black is just like any other war game that is rated teen, except there is strong language. I didn't care for the game that much, it was extremely short and the gameplay repeated itself. Anyway, the only thing objectionable to 13+ is the language.

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